In less than a week, the Board of Commissioners will choose the company to handle garbage service for Calhoun County.

At their last meeting, the commission opened bids from three different companies: Emerald Waste Services (EWS), Waste Pro of Florida, and Waste Management, the company that currently holds the contract. The bids were tabled and turned over to a committee to review and rank before the next meeting set for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Extension Office.

The committee was comprised of Clerk of Court Ruth Attaway, Commissioner Danny Ray Wise (district 1), County Administrator Sonny O’Bryan, Assistant County Administrator Joe Wood, and Emergency Management Coordinator Angie Wood. They reviewed the bids and scored them on a number of areas, ranging from cost to customer service record.

EWS was the top scorer in price. They proposed to bill customers $14.95/month compared to Waste Management’s proposal of $16.50 ($14.85 for senior citizens) and Waste Pro’s proposal of $17.50 (with a 5 percent discount to seniors). All three dropped their prices if the county collects garbage fees through property taxes.

However, in other areas, Waste Management came out on top, resulting in them being ranked number 1, followed by Waste Pro and then EWS. To see the score sheets, go to www.calhounflorida.org